Chinese Lacquerware
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Box with Birds and Flowers
China, Southern Song dynasty, 13th centuryAsian Gallery (Toyokan) Room 9
January 2, 2025 (Thu) - March 23, 2025 (Sun)Lacquer is the sap of the lacquer tree, which grows in East and Southeast Asia. Naturally sticky, it can be brushed onto different materials, and it hardens into a durable coating that is waterproof and resistant to acids, alkalis, and heat. The history of lacquerware in China dates back to the Neolithic period (ca. 10,000–2100 BC). Over the millennia, a number of decorative techniques evolved in China, including lacquer relief carving and lacquer with incised lines filled with gold leaf. Chinese lacquerware frequently feature abstract spiral patterns (called “pommel scrolls”) or pictorial scenes of landscapes, flowers, birds, pavilions, and people.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Box with Birds and Flowers | China | Southern Song dynasty, 13th century | TH-362 | |||
| Box with Dragons among Clouds | China | Southern Song dynasty, 13th century | TH-502 | ||||
| Highlight | Tray with Peaches | China | Ming dynasty, Jiajing era (1522–66) | TH-385 | |||
| Highlight | Box with an "Eight Treasures" Pattern and the Character for "Spring" | China | Qing dynasty, 18th century | Gift of Mr. Kamiya Denbei, TH-84 |